Iquique

Today we docked in San Antonio, Chile at 7:30 AM and by 7:45 AM we were at the terminal. We booked a tour thru cruise critic website. It was supposd to be a group of 8 people. When we found our group there were at least 50 to 60. I did not like it. So, right on the spot, we organized group of 8 and hired a tour guide.

Our destination was Valparaiso. It is about 1-1.5 hours drive.
Known as Valpo, Valparaíso is Chile's second largest city, located on the Pacific coast. A historical city nestled in the hills, Valpo is the heart of Chile’s bohemian culture. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, Valpo is a special place with historical significance. The city has 45 hills, the most prominent of which is Cerro Alegre.

The weather was warm, but there was light drizzle and fog, so being on the hill the fog did not permit us to see panaramic view.
We drove around the city, stoped to take pictures. Some architecture is very beautiful, but everything is in pretty poor condition. Lots of street art like murals, lots of graffiti. The city is dirty and poor.
We took one of the oldest faniculars in the city to go up the hill. There are use to be around 30 faniculars in the city, but now only 16 remain. Most of them were build in 19 or beginning of 20 century.
Then we walked down. We stopped in little cafe and had Empanadas and I had hot chocolate and Boris had carrot/orange juice.
Then we visited Pablo Neruda's house. It is converted to a museum.

Our last stop was beautiful winery. We tested few wines, spend some time on the patio of the winery. By that time the sun came out and we enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.
By 3:30 PM we were back in the port.
To see pictures of the day please go to the link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/zGWvQtKsR1P1WjHCALæs mere